A PAIR OF SÈVRES BISCUIT FIGURES OF CUPID AND PSYCHE ON BASES CIRCA 1765

after models by Etienne-Maurice Falconet, the winged Cupid seated on rockwork, his right forefinger held to his mouth, a quiver of arrows to his rear, Psyche also seated on rockwork and holding a bow, on detachable shaped bases decorated in colours with floral garlands on a gros bleu ground within gilt borders, inscribed Omnia vincit Amor. and Et nos cedamus Amori

Psyche with B incised

Condition Note: some restoration and repairs to Cupid and bases, firing cracks

We are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described in our catalogue. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Quantity: 4

CATALOGUE NOTE

Numerous pairs of these figures were sold following the introduction of Psyche in 1761. The model for Cupid dates from 1758. Madame de Pompadour bought a set in 1762, Madame Victoire in 1775. Occasionally they were included in the factory's annual gifts. Many examples have matching pedestals. The inscriptions are taken from Virgil's Eclogues (x, 69) 'Omnia Vincit Amor' for Cupid and 'Et nos Cedamus Amori' for Psyche (Love conquers all, let us too yield to love). The former first appears on a pedestal in 1761.

Those pairs with blue-ground pedestals include examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and in the Wallace Collection, London (see R.Savill, Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, vol.II, pp.823-834, pl.C493-4 and C493-4). Another pair is in the Jones Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Catalogue, part II, nos. 139 and 140. A single example of Cupid, dated 1758, is illustrated by M.Brunet and T.Préaud, Sèvres, Des origines à nos jours, p.229, fig.313.

Several examples of these pairs have been sold in these rooms, from the Chester Beatty Collection, 15th November 1955, the Fribourg Collection, 25th June 1963, and another pair lot 64, 23rd May 1967.